Improvement in letter-envelopes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANNA M. MURPHY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER-ENVELOPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,l26, dated June 14, 1864.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA M. MURPHY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement iu Letter-Envelopes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specin'cation, in which- Figure l represents a plan of one of my letter sheets when unfolded. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same having the folding edge of the seal-ilapperforated to faelitatethe opening ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a similar view ofthe saine partially folded. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same when completely folded.

Similar letters of reference in the several views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention is an improvement on that class of letter-envelopes on which Letters Patent have been granted to William Murphy, June 2, 1863; and the object of the same is to facilitate the operation of opening the letter without tearing the saine.

The nature of my invention and its peculiar advantages will be readily understood from the following description My letter-envelope consists of a sheet, A, ot' ordinary writing-paper, ruled or unruled, and provided with a flap, a, at its head similar to the closing flap of an ordinary envelope. ofthe sheet, and it extends over less than onehalf its full length, leaving room for the side iiaps, b b', one on either side, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. The side tlaps extend down over the full width of the sheet, and they form an essential part of the same, being intended to be written upon the same as the central portion or body, c, of the sheet. The width of the flaps b b is vsuch that when the same are folded, as shown in Fig. 3, the edge ofthe tlap b overlaps that of the flap b', and when the edge of the flap bis provided with gum the two flaps can be firmly united.

In opening the letter it is desirable to preserve intact all that portion of the sheet which is covered with the writing, and in separating the two aps b b', I met with the great difculty that. the same could not be separated nicely without a knife or scissors. Such instruments are not always on hand, and

This flap occupies the middle portion' I have therefore devised some simple means whereby the proper separation of the two aps can be effected easily and Without the use of any instrument whatever. This purpose I have eected by a series of perforations, d, in the flap b,just behind the gum, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. If the two aps b b are gummed together and it is desired to separate them, a slight strain will part the iiap b in the line of the perforations and the writing on the letter-sheet is not injured. This same observation also applies to the seal-tlap a. It' the folding edge of this flap is left intact, as shown in Fig. .1, and the letter is opened incautiously, the writing on the body of the letter-sheet is liable to be injured. This difficulty I have obviated by the application of a series of perforations, e, on the folding edge of the seal-flap, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. By these means a letter written on one of my sheets can readily be opened without the aid of any instrument, and the danger of spoiling or injurying any part of the writing is effectually obviated.

I do not claim as my invention the application of perforations to envelopes for the purpose of facilitating the opening of the same, as I am aware that such have beforel been used in various ways. the patent of William Murphy, before referred to, describes an envelope letterlsheet resembling mine in its general form. This, therefore, I do not claim, but I have found that the use-of the two lines of perforations d and e applied to the side lap, b, and sealinglap a, respectively, remove the great difficulty existing in the use of the said William Murphys device and make a much more complete and useful article.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

`As a new article of manufacture, an envelope letter-sheet constructed with a center, c, side laps, b'b, sealinglap a, and two rows of perforations, d and e, all as herein described, and for the purposes specified.

ANNA M. MURPHY.

I am also Aaware that 

